Qing Fox Ancestral Secret Realm.
Hearing this, the resentnt in Qing i Niang’s eyes subsided, and she said, her voice calr now, “You’re already planning to repair the Eternal Light Sword?”
“It was the Immortal Venerable’s sword,” Chen Yin said. “He didn’t leave many things behind in this world. Besides the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain, there are only a few other places. I’ll search them all.”
Seeing his determination, Xiang’er realized he hadn’t been moping. He had been planning his next move.
Qing i Niang’s expression softened slightly. “What’s your plan?”
“I have three places in mind,” Chen Yin explained. “First, your ancestor’s secret realm. She was close to the Immortal Venerable, so there might be so clues there. Second, the Demonic Path. Their leader seems to know sothing about the sword. And lastly… the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain. There are rumors of a hidden treasure there, possibly left by the Immortal Venerable.”
His words brought a sense of clarity to the seemingly impossible task.
Qing i Niang nodded slowly. “…You’re not completely heartless. I was planning on asking the Demon Lord first.”
“But as you know, Senior, he’s… not in the best condition right now,” Chen Yin said.
The Demon Lord had also been severely injured during the battle, losing his other arm and suffering a severe blow to his consciousness. He was still unconscious, recovering in the Demonic Path’s territory.
“So I’ll accompany you to the secret realm first. It will fulfill our agreent, and we might find so clues about the sword.”
Qing i Niang looked at him intently. “I’ll help you find a way to repair the sword. But that doesn’t an I forgive you. I just want Little Ling’er back.”
She turned to leave, then paused and said, her voice cold, “I’ll be waiting in Qinglian City. Co find when you’re ready.”
She vanished into the Void.
Chen Yin sighed and turned around, then he heard a soft, hesitant voice.
“Senior Brother… I-I’m sorry…”
Xiang’er looked at him, her eyes filled with guilt. “I didn’t know you were trying to save Master… I even slapped you…”
“It’s okay. I’m not angry,” Chen Yin ruffled her hair gently. “Maybe I… enjoy being hit?”
Xiang’er: “…?”
“You’ve all worked hard, dealing with the aftermath of the battle. Get so rest. I’ll go to Qinglian City tomorrow.”
Seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, Xiang’er nodded and left with the others, giving him so space.
But Chen Yin couldn’t sleep.
As night fell, he sat alone at his table, surrounded by scrolls and texts related to the Immortal Venerable, searching for any clues that might help him repair the Eternal Light Sword.
A knock ca at the door.
“Co in.”
Nan Xiaoxiang entered, dressed in white.
“I knew you wouldn’t be sleeping. If you can’t sleep, why pretend to be tired?” she said, a hint of amusent in her voice.
Chen Yin didn’t answer. “What brings you here, Miss Nan, in the middle of the night?”
His question silenced her.
She looked down, as if searching for the right words. “I noticed earlier… you looked pale and unwell. Your complexion is poor, and there’s a darkness around your lips… signs of heartfire accumulating. As a physician, I wanted to check on you.”
Chen Yin looked at her for a mont, then smiled. “You can just say you were worried about .”
“I—” she started to protest, then blushed and looked away. “Heartfire accumulation can lead to serious illnesses. I was just showing concern. If you’re going to be like this, then forget it.”
She turned to leave, then paused and looked back at him.
…Chen Yin didn’t stop her.
Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to tease her.
But now, he just looked at her, his gaze distant and unfocused.
“Are you… really alright?” she asked softly.
Chen Yin was silent for a long mont, then he shook his head.
“…I don’t know. Maybe not. But I don’t have ti to think about it.”
He picked up a scroll. “There’s so much to read, I’m afraid I won’t finish in ti.”
“Aren’t you worried about your health?”
“I’m not that fragile.”
“You don’t seem very strong right now,” Nan Xiaoxiang said, her voice filled with a gentle concern.
Chen Yin looked up at her, surprised. She walked over to the stove, brewed a pot of tea, added so herbs, then sat down beside him, handing him a cup.
“I’ll help you look. This tea has calming and soothing properties. It might help.”
She picked up a scroll and started reading, her profile illuminated by the candlelight, her expression soft and serene, yet a hint of worry lingered in her eyes.
Chen Yin looked at her for a mont, then smiled. “If you really want to help extinguish my heartfire, Miss Nan, there’s a better way.”
“What?”
Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms.
Whether or not his heartfire was extinguished, Nan Xiaoxiang didn’t know.
But her own face was burning.
“Young Master Chen!” Nan Xiaoxiang said, her voice low and slightly trembling. “What are you doing?”
“Extinguishing the heartfire. Isn’t that what a physician would do?” Chen Yin’s expression was innocent, as if he wasn’t doing anything remotely inappropriate.
But Nan Xiaoxiang’s body stiffened at his words, her eyes filled with suspicion. “What… what do you an?”
She tried to pull away, but his arm tightened around her waist, holding her close.
As her panic grew, he said softly, “I’m not asking for much. Just… holding soone… makes feel calr. It might help with the… heartfire.”
“Don’t you have enough won already?” Nan Xiaoxiang said, her voice laced with annoyance. “Miss Shen, Miss Xiang’er, Luo Luo, Qingying… Why ?”
“Why not you?”
Nan Xiaoxiang was speechless.
She looked away, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. “…I’m just a mortal woman… I’m not worthy of a cultivator like you…” she mumbled, her voice filled with a quiet resentnt.
Chen Yin chuckled and patted her head gently. “I’m not asking you to marry . I just need your company. It makes feel… calr.”
His gentle tone made her heart skip a beat.
She looked at him, then quickly averted her gaze, picking up a scroll and pretending to read.
“…Just this once.”
“Don’t make it a habit.”
Chen Yin nodded, his arm tightening around her waist, his hand gently caressing her smooth skin.
He rested his head on her shoulder, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair.
Nan Xiaoxiang’s ears turned red, but she didn’t resist, just sat there quietly in his arms.
Ti slowed down.
The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows as they read, searching for information about the Immortal Venerable, the silence broken only by the occasional whispered comnt or question.
At first, Nan Xiaoxiang’s body had been tense, as if she was trying to maintain a distance between them.
But gradually, as she grew tired, she relaxed, her body leaning against his, her head resting on his chest.
…He’s actually quite comfortable, she thought, surprised. His embrace was warm and reassuring.
As the night deepened, her eyelids grew heavy.
She blinked, trying to stay awake, but her exhaustion was overwhelming.
“If you’re tired, Miss Nan, you can go back to your room. I can handle this myself,” Chen Yin said softly.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly, shaking her head, “I’m not tired.”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
She glared at him playfully and reached for the teapot.
“Drinking tea will keep you awake.”
“I know what I’m doing, Young Master Chen. I’m a physician.”
She poured herself a cup and drank it in one gulp.
Chen Yin sighed. “How long are you planning on staying up with ?”
“Until you’re tired and ready for bed.”
“You want to sleep with ?”
“…How did you reach that conclusion?”
“Then there’s no need to force yourself to stay awake. If you’re tired, just sleep. We don’t have to finish this tonight.”
Nan Xiaoxiang shook her head. “I’m really not tired.”
“You really don’t want to go back to your room?” Chen Yin asked, amused by her persistence.
She nodded.
“Then stay the night.”
He lifted her into his arms.
Nan Xiaoxiang: “?”
She yelped and struggled, her arms flailing. “What are you doing?! Put down! Have so decency, Young Master Chen!”
Chen Yin ignored her protests and carried her to the bed.
“No! Please…” she whispered, her voice trembling, her usual composure gone, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitent.
“I didn’t say I was going to do anything,” Chen Yin said, placing her gently on the bed. “If you don’t want to go back to your room, then sleep here. The bed is big enough.”
“Th-that’s not necessary!”
She sat up, trying to regain her composure. “I’ll go back to my room when I’m tired. Don’t worry about .”
“Are you going to be a good girl now?” Chen Yin’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
Nan Xiaoxiang blushed and looked down, flustered by his gaze.
“…Always teasing ,” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
But Chen Yin heard her.
He carried her back to the table and picked up a scroll.
But this ti, his hands weren’t so idle.
Nan Xiaoxiang tried to focus on the text, but her cheeks flushed, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
After a while, she glared at him. “Can’t you just… read quietly?”
“You’re more interesting than these scrolls,” he said casually.
“…”
She tried to ignore him and focus on the text, but it was useless.
Her body felt like it was on fire.
But his touch was gentle, almost soothing.
And as she gradually relaxed, her eyelids grew heavy.
This ti, she didn’t fight it. She leaned against him, her head resting on his chest, and drifted off to sleep.
Chen Yin didn’t tease her anymore.
He closed the scroll and looked at her sleeping face, a soft smile on his lips, then he gently carried her back to her room and tucked her into bed.
He returned to his own room, the candlelight flickering, and picked up a scroll, but after a few minutes, he sighed and put it down.
“Alright,” he said, his voice slightly louder than usual,
“Are you done watching?”
“Did you really think I didn’t know you were there?”
The candle fla flickered violently, then two figures erged from the shadows.
Luo Luo, dressed in a pale green dress, her fox ears and tail twitching nervously, fidgeted with her fingers, her cheeks flushed.
And Qingying, in her tight black outfit, her hair in a ponytail, looked at him with a mixture of amusent and suspicion.
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